Will we finally see an Apple-made 5G modem?

Apple attempted to create its own 5G modem for two iPhone series editions but was unsuccessful. However, rumors suggest that the company may finally succeed with its own cellular connectivity chip debuting as early as next year.

The last time it tested a 5G modem against Qualcomm Snapdragon’s top silicon, the chip took up almost half of the phone and experienced significant overheating issues. As a result, Apple decided to sign a multiyear contract for Snapdragon modems and returned to the design phase.

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It appears that Apple has achieved a certain level of success with its in-house efforts, as securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will gradually introduce its own 5G modem in iPhones, beginning in 2025.

Apple will introduce two new form factors: the iPhone SE 4, set to be released in the first quarter of next year, and the iPhone 17 Slim, a sleek replacement for the Plus line.

Apple seems unwilling to replace Qualcomm in its main iPhone models, but the contract for Snapdragon chips will expire next year. If Apple wants to avoid paying over $7 billion annually for using the most advanced 5G modem in the world, it will need to find a suitable alternative.

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Otherwise, Apple could have risked falling behind in download speeds and other benefits of 5G networks, as it did when choosing Intel and delaying the introduction of the first 5G iPhone compared to its competitors.

In addition, Apple’s iPhone fans are used to purchasing unlocked devices that support a high number of network bands, a feature currently only guaranteed by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon modem family.

When Apple created its initial modem prototypes in 2022, the system board of the iPhone was so large that it would have occupied half of the space within the device. Furthermore, testing needs to be conducted on the various bands and frequencies used by carriers worldwide, which is a time-consuming process.

Apple has clearly made progress in developing its own 5G modem handset, but its inclusion in an iPhone 17 Slim is surprising as it implies that Apple has been able to create something competitive with the compact Snapdragons in just two years.